Once in a lifetime
by tangledshadows
Summary: It takes the Final Battle to realise their feelings. PostHogwarts. Twoshot. HHR.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Me. No. Own. It. **

**I think this will be a two-shot. I may have a two-short series. CRAZY thinking Mandy! It probably won't happen but whatever. Enjoy! **

**Once in a life time…**

**By tangledshadows**

**h/hr**

**1/2 **

_**Hermione's POV**_

_Once in a life time, you can jump. Preferably not of a cliff, but you could do that too. Jumping into something you always thought you could never do gives you certain rush. I got my rush battling the Dark Lord. _

_Different huh? I never thought that would be my rush, always Harry's. But Harry needed help and who was I to refuse? I always thought my rush would be dancing considering all the freestyle I do with Ginny. I guess not. _

_See, the day of the Battle, Harry, Ron and I were in the kitchen at the Burrow. Well, Harry and I were, Ron was in the bathroom puking his guts up. But what could I expect? The boy's afraid of spiders for goodness' sakes! But I guess it was a good thing because I don't think Harry would have said what he did if Ron had been there._

Our hands were curled around our respective tea cups with cold water and tea leaves.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Hermione… I'm scared…"

I'm sorry to say, I laughed. Not at him but at his logic. "Harry, I think you'd be mad if you weren't scared!"

He smiled weakly but turned sober after a second. "Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Scared."

"Yes, Harry, I am scared."

Narrowing his eyes, he stared at me extensively. "You don't seem scared."

"Because I don't think I'm scared of what you think I'm scared of."

"Well, then, what are you scared of? Voldemort, right?"

"No, I'm not scared of Him. He's just another half-blood. He's not the greatest wizard in the world and I think you both have the same potential as he does; you just use it in different ways. I'm scared of someone dying. Silly, I know, it's inevitable that someone will die, but what if someone I really care about dies? What if you or Ron died?"

He nodded in an understanding sort of way. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of. I mean, I know what to do once Voldemort and I finally face each other alone. You and Professor Dumbledore trained and prepared me for that. But what if something goes wrong? What if my wand just stops working?"

I reached out to grasp his hand. "Harry, whatever happens, whether it is that your wand suddenly stops working for no apparent reason, or… you trip over you shoelaces and break your glasses or you get a sudden case of laryngitis and can't shout out the spell that would ultimately kill Voldemort once and for all, I will always, always be there for you."

"Thanks Hermione. If we don't get through this, I want you to know that you are my support and my rock."

I smiled warmly.

Then the alarm was sounded and we were up and out of our chairs, Apparating to the Battlefield. Before we rushed out to help our fellow members of the Order of the Phoenix, Harry gripped my hand. "Come back Hermione, please?"

"Only if you do Harry, only if you do." Then I broke away from his grip and rushed to help Remus who was battling Lucius Malfoy.

The time had come. And there was nothing we could do about it. The Order was on the right side, the side of good. The Death Eaters were on the left side, the side of bad. We were all in a circle, separated from each other by a force field created by Voldemort to keep us away from him and Harry in their final duel.

I pounded my fists against the clear dome in frustration. "This isn't fair," I cried to Ginny. "He's going to die! I need to help him!"

"Mione, the only one who can save him is the one he loves; which is so obviously not you, but me."

"Don't call me Mione, my name is Hermione!" I abandoned the shield, rounding on her. "And how dare you say that at this time. Harry could die, and you Ginerva Weasley, are so selfish to think that you—to think that--UH! I can't even—I can't—you can't—I'm not even going to try to say something that will express my emotions. I'm going to help Harry if it's the last thing I do!"

I turned around just in time to see Voldemort hit Harry with Crucio. The Death Eaters cackled while the Order cringed.

"Hang in there Harry! I'm coming!" I backed away from the shield, and levelled my wand with the base of it. "Bombarda!" I yelled. No impact on the field. Once again I tried and the tiniest of cracks in the colourless dome. "Bombarda! Bombarda! Bombarda! Come on! Bombarda!" Finally the crack grew big enough for me to pry open with my fingernails. But there was no way I'd be able to do it by myself.

"Ron, come on, help me!"

"Why?" he asked, his voice laced with annoyance, anger, sadness and jealousy. "So you can help him then you both can declare your undying love for each other?"

What is up with people right now? Why won't anybody help me? "Whatever. I'll do it myself."

I ran up to the crack and dug my fingers in to it. "Open would you?" I yelled at it uselessly.

"Her… Hermione! Please help me! Hermione?"

I looked up from my task to see Harry looking straight at me, the life slowly leaving his eyes. "No, no, no. Harry, hold on!" I pressed my shoulder beside the crack and used the leverage to pull apart the dome. I stuck my wand in between the two sides as a stopper and pointed it to Voldemort. "Expelliarmus!" The Crucio spell ended and Harry slowly began to gain his strength.

"Yes, yes," I whispered. "Come on Harry. Get up, you can do it!"

Even without his wand, Voldemort was a threat. He was a master at non-verbal and wand-less magic. Seeing as Harry was most likely to focus on the end result then what was happening now, I decided that now would probably be the time to get in to the Merlin-forsaken dome.

I pushed my foot through the crack, angling it sideways. Then I pushed my hip through it, effectively separating the two sides and allowing me to slip into the dome. "Now see here Riddle," I said to Voldemort, distracting him from Harry who was struggling to his feet. "You leave Harry alone!"

"My dear little Mudblood," Voldemort hissed as he came towards me, twirling his wand in between his fingers. "I won't hesitate to kill him because you say I shouldn't. In fact…" he grabbed me, and threw me into Harry. Harry caught me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "I will make him watch you die!"

"Don't worry Hermione, I got you. Oh and you," he said to Voldemort, "I will make you pay for call my g-- friend a mud—mud— a"

"A mudblood?" Voldemort pushed his wand into my jugular, and I backed in to Harry. "Harry, help."

Voldemort backed away before raising his wand. "Avada K—!"

"NO!" We cried together. Harry pushed me to the ground. The spell missed us by inches. "Hermione," Harry whispered in my ear. "I'm going to end this once and for all."

"Remember Harry, make sure you use iambic pentameter."

"I know." Harry stood up and faced the Dark Lord, wand aimed meticulously. "_With this curse, I will destroy you, once and for all. Never shall you rise again, from too high, you will fall._"

Voldemort cackled. "That's it? You'll destroy me with a pitiful rhyme? That's bloody pathetic!"

Harry narrowed his eyes, and I could tell he was summoning magic from inside him. "Angry thoughts Harry, angry thoughts." I whispered, more to myself than anything.

He nodded like he could hear me. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Green light shot out of his wand and hit Voldemort square in the chest.

"Imbecile!" Voldemort cried. "You think that's going to finish me off?"

"_With this curse, I will destroy you, once and for all. Never shall you rise again, from too high, you will fall._" Harry chanted. With each word, a gaping hole in Voldemort's chest enlarged, finally reach the end of his matter and swallowing him whole.

Harry's eyes rolled back into his head as he fainted and the dome came crashing down on top of us.

**OOH! Suspense! Don't worry, you'll get over it. Like I said, this was a two-shot, so expect part two soon. **

**Reviews are love!**

**Mandy. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Here's the final part of Once in a Lifetime… I've decided to make a two-shot series AND a songfic series so watch out for them.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.**

**

* * *

Once in a lifetime…**

**By tangledshadows**

**h/hr**

**2/2**

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Harry's POV**_

* * *

Please let her wake up. Please, please, please! She has to wake! I didn't get to tell her how I feel!

My gaze strayed to the figure on the bed for which must have been the 50th time in two minutes. The only difference between then and now was that she stirred. Wait a minute! She moved. "Hermione!" I was at her bedside in an instant, covering her hand with my own.

"Harry?"

"Yes, yes it's Harry. Don't worry, I'm here."

Hermione's hand squeezed my hand lightly. "I want to go back to sleep…" Her eyes fluttered, and she was drifting off.

"No wait, Hermione, not yet. If you go to bed now, you may never get up again."

"Don't be silly Harry, I'm perfectly fine." But her voice was weak and there was absolutely no colour in her cheeks. "Just give me another hour." Her eyes fully closed and I knew I had to do something before I lost her forever.

"MADAME POMFREY!" I yelled, not tearing my eyes from Hermione's face.

The mediwitch bustled over. "Mr Potter," she scolded, "I assure you, there is no need to yell – oh!"

I had been gesturing wildly to Hermione and Madame Pomfrey finally got the idea.

"I just need to check her vitals to see which potion I should give her," she said crisply.

"Then by all means…"

I watched anxiously as Madame Pomfrey check Hermione's pulse, blood pressure, heart rate, heart, lungs, brain, bones and pupils. "That settles it," she said, rather pleased. "All she needs is a bone mending potion and a blood replenishing potion." She power walked past me. "By the way, Mr Potter, congratulations on defeating the Dark Lord."

Yeah, yeah whatever, just help Hermione! I nodded in acknowledgement.

Moments later, the nurse returned with a fizzing teal potion and a ghastly smelling orangey-red one. "Mr Potter, I'm going to need your help. Lift her head up and after I pour the potion in her mouth, massage her neck muscles so she can swallow."

I nodded and sat behind her, placing her head on my chest.

"I must warn you, Mr Potter that the bone mending potion will put her to sleep. And--" she said as I began to protest, "And, I shall simply cast _Evenerate_ to wake her up. Ready?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. She began to pouring the orangey-red potion in Hermione's mouth, pulling her chin down with her thumb and forefinger. Immediately, I began to rub the glands in Hermione's throat and the potion disappeared down her oesophagus. Then came the teal potion and as I repeated the process, I felt her slump against me.

My palms became sweaty as I feared for Hermione's life. "Not to worry Mr Potter, I shall cast the Revival spell now."

Ha, easier said than done. Madame Pomfrey muttered the spell and a mauve glow encircled Hermione. Abruptly, I disappeared and she woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly sat up with my help.

"Harry?"

"Yes Hermione, I'm here." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Madame Pomfrey slip out to give us privacy.

"Harry, is he gone?"

Instantly, I knew who she was talking about. "Yes, Hermione, he's gone."

I looked away, remembering the battle when I heard a chocking sound, and turned my head towards the girl in my lap and see that she's crying. I wrapped my arms around her. "Hermione, why are you crying?"

"It was just so scary," she muttered into my sleeve. I held her until she lifted her head and stared into my eyes. "Where's Ron?"

Now tears sprang to _my _eyes. "Hermione… Hermione, Ron's… Ron died after the dome collapsed. A shard of glass went through his skull." I chocked up when my voice cracked.

"Wh-what?"

"Ron's gone."

"Where?" she asked, not taking in any information.

"He's gone where people go after they die." I felt as if she had the innocence of a five year old.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded and hugged her tighter as she began to cry again. "Don't worry, he hasn't left us! He's still in our hearts."

She wrapped her arms around my waist, drawing warmth and comfort. When her grip began to loosen, I knew she had fallen asleep.

* * *

It had been 12 months since the Final Battle.

Hermione came rushing up to me and threw her arms around my waist. "I think- I think I've stopped grieving."

I didn't know how to respond to that so I just returned the hug. The past year had been hard for her. She had never considered, smart as she is, that when someone dies, they never come back. For weeks after she was out of the Hospital Wing, she would be talking to me then turned to her other side, expecting Ron to be there. But he never was. Then for days she'd mope, only to have the cycle repeat.

I'd had enough trouble dealing with Ron's death. It's hard just to lose a best friend like that, knowing that he's gone and he won't come back. It's hard, knowing that he wouldn't 'debate' with me about the Canons and the Tornados; that he wouldn't own me at Wizard's Chess or that I wouldn't beat him at Exploding Snap.

But it was because Ron wasn't here that I realized my feeling toward Hermione. When he was alive, I had always been scurrying between them, making sure their friendship was never blown to pieces. I had noticed Ron's feelings in Year Two when Hermione was Petrified. He couldn't even touch her, he was so afraid of breaking her.

With all of that going on, I didn't even notice my own feelings. I couldn't tell that my heart would jump every time I saw Hermione. Or that my pulse raced when she touched me. In fact, I was so used to it, I didn't even register it and it took Ginny to help me realize that I wouldn't be able to live with my best friend.

But my plan of telling her how I felt was delayed because of the Final Battle and its consequences. But she was okay now. I could tell her today.

* * *

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"I need to tell you something very important. I'll need you to think very carefully about it. Okay?"

She looked a bit confused but consented anyway.

"Hermione- look, I'm just going to come right out and say it. Hermione, IthinkIloveyou."

"Come again?"

"I said," I repeated, drawing out each syllable, "I think I love you."

Hermione looked stunned. "What?" she said, taking a step closer.

"I think I love you."

"You think you love me," she echoed, coming closer still. "Well guess what Harry James Potter?"

I cringed, expecting rejection. "What?"

"I think I love you too."

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I know, I know, it is a bit rushed at the end – major understatement-. But I wanted to get it up in time for my birthday. Which is today. So as a birthday present, drop me a review. Thanks for reading!**

Mandy

**Mandy 3**


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